Intelligence transmission system



Sept. 0, 1941. H. BRANSON 2,257,562

INTELLIGENCE TRANSMISSION SYSTEM Filed March 8, 1937 -5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR 2R0 BRA/ SON BY L 7 W ATTORNEY 3 4 s/am HI l- P 1941- H. BRANSON 2,257,562

INTELLIGENCE TRANSMISSION SYSTEM I DEFLECTING SELECTING SIGNAL IMPULSE &

AAAAA 7"" AAAAA OUTPUT IMPULSE 4/ CONTROL A as n r"". W H U H INVENTOR .MRRYBRANSON ATTORNEY p 1941- H. BRANSON 2,257,562

INTELLIGENCE TRANSMISSION SYSTEM Filed March 8, 1937 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 TRANSMITTER 73 v 75 77 7.9

& B KEYED RfCOAD/ KEYED J/ M AMPLIFIER: 705E AMPLIFIER 57 WAVE mruzsz ZH syAPs l==[6A/m4 PICTURE KEYED A SIGNAL AMP! [MPH SOURCE AMPUF/ER 68/? RECEI VER' SOUND KEYED AMPUF/ LOWPASS F/l TER KEYED ZOUDSPf W4 vs IMPUISE SIM PER F/l TER 5 01211005 RAY p/cnmi was INVEN TOR HARRY BRANSON ATTORNEY H. BRANSON INTELLIGENCE TRANSMISS ION SYSTEM Sept. 30, 1941.

Filed March 8, 1937 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVEJYTOR HARRYBPAMSON ATTORNEY k ow Patented Sept.30,1941

Harry Branson, Philadelphia; Pa asaignor to Radio Corporation oi! America, a corporation or Delaware Application March a, 1937, Serial No. 129,568

8(3laims.

This invention is a continuation in part 01' my copending' application Serial No. 665,064, med April 8, 1933, and entitled "Intelligence transmission systems."

The present invention relates .to systems for I transmitting intelligence from one point to another byradio, wire or wired radio communication systems. In a selected form theinvention is particularly directed to television systems wherein the visual action to be portrayed is transmitted with accompanying sound indications.

Such sound may occur with and be coordinated with the visual representation at the transmission point, or may be in the nature of an accompaniment thereto.

In sound motion picture work the iilm record usually comprises a series or pictorial representations intermittently produced. These represen-- tations are iormed on the film adjacent to a sound track which is in the form 01 a continuous sound record. The sound'indications are formed as various types of records such, for example, as the variable density or the variable width type, or the sound'action may appear on a separate and independent record, such as a disk, from which it is mechanically or electrically reproduced when accurately coordinated in time relationship with the film in reproduction.

The interest in television transmission is increased to a considerable degree where the observer of the reconstructed image 0! the subject or object at the point of tron is accompanied by sound signals so as to make the action more realistic and it, therefore, is with a view to producing a television and sound transmission and reception system or this general use ture that the present invention is developed.

It has already been proposed, as disclosed by Vladimir K." Zworykin in application Serial No. 665,098, filed April 8. 1933, this being now issued in Great Britain as British Patent No. 434.890. and assigned to Radio Corporation of America,

to provide a system for combined image and sound transmission upon a single carrier irequency. In the Zworykin system the sound signals are stored, or converted into electrical charges or an electrical sound image or non-pictorial record. Asthe sound signals are being converted into an electrical sound record image signals are transmitted for a time period corresponding to the scanning period of a single pic-' I ture line or elemental strip. Immediately iollowing this scanning periodthc stored sound signal is transmitted, but in reverse order in time to that of its occurrence. At the receiver end of the at the receiver in the same time order as its transmission, or, in other words, is reversed irom that or its production at the transmission point. This sound signal will later be reproduced in the order 01' its original occurrence at the time when the following line or elemental strip of the electro-optical image is produced.

To summarize, now, the operation of such a system it can be assumed that 24 pictures or complete images are transmitted per second and that each picture is scanned along 180 independent elemental strips. So arranged the scanning period, that is, a complete cycle, for any one elemental strip, is V4320 seconds. During the ,4 second period 95 of the time (called herein period A") will be used to produce the picture again until the transmission ceases.

While this is happening at the transmission point in the receiver the picture signals are reproduced during period A; during period '3 the picture reproduction is interrupted and sound signals are stored; during period A picture signals are again produced and simultaneously the sound signals stored during period A are reproduced; and during period B there is a repetition of the action during periodB. It is thus seen a that such a system can produce coordinated sound and picture signals over a single transmission channel and that the only delay. in the sound reproduction is 85 4320 second period which,

oi course, cannot be detected by the human ear.

The present invention, while it attempts to improve upon a system of this general type and has, therefore, as its principal aim and object, in

common with the above mentioned Zworykin apparatus, that or transmitting both the television and the sound signals upon the same carrier trequency so as to avoid the necessity oi genersting independent carrier frequencies for each i missionthroushtheuseolnswendnovelmeens for storins end trensmittins the sisnels.

In television trensmission the frequency bend required to trensmit e setisiectory imese representeticn is e function of the number of complete imese trensmission. 'thet is. the soennins ireouency, end thenumber of imese points into which eech imese is eslumed to be divided tor the purpose of trensmission. In-trensmittins It complete imese representetioru per second dii vided es ebove essumed end wherein eech eleinentel strip is essumed to be composed of epproximetcly 180 individuel elementel erees, it can be seen thet the complete frequency bend reouired ior trensmission is of the order of l melecyc c.

when recourse is 'hed to the cethode re! tube es s trensm'ittins end/or receivins instrumentelity it is customery to use the cethode reysenereted with the tube to seen on obieot or to reproduce en imese oi the scenned obiect for epproximetelr 1's of the time eveileble.

prectice orisinetesbeceuse of the feet thet the cethode rey to soon or to reproduce e picture treversos either e photo sensitive surfece within the scennins tube or the fluorescent screen of the roceivins tube st e reletively slow speed in one direction but et e repid speed in, the reverse direction so thet the scennins or enelysins operetion eppeers to occur elweys in one direction. The sof the time thet is lost from scennins or reproduction occurs durins s reversel of the cethode rey boom to e position of stertins.

- This reversei oi the cethode reyhes commonly been termed the "return line period". In thb period it is customery to trensmit e synchronisins sisnel by which the oscilletore et both the on v v teams: i a I type of thereby providins e tion-durins ccrretpondinsin duie diflerent moduletor for moduletins the senertion to those durins which the sound sisnels eted cerrlers independently by the television end were orisinelly formed.

' the sound sisnels. seehs else to improve the trees- It is] iurther obiect of this invention to provide weys end menus for oondensins the sound occurrins wtihin the time required to soon e sinsle elementel strip of e subject of which the imeseic to be desired end then to trensmit in the intervel between the periods or trensmission of successive elementel strips, of the subiect this time condensed sound record, end then et the points or reception to expend the received sound sisnele to produce eudible sisnels reproducible simulteneouslywith the production of the next succeedins series of lisht velues correspondins to the next sucoeedlns elementel strip of the subiect of which the imese is beins produced.

I'urther obiects end edventeses oi the invention ere to provide e system for trensmittins e combined television end sound record which is oonsidereblysimplided from the systems etpres ont in use end in which no interference between trensmitted sound end picture sisnels cen erise: to provide ,e' system which is simple in its constiucticnenderrensement of ports while still eiiicient in operetion: e system which cen be oompoctly errensed in e reoeivins' instrumentelitv so es-to edept the system to commercisl use: end e system ior receivlns television endsound eioneh which cen be distributed et e minimum of expense.

ltill other end further obiects of the invention will be pointed out in connection with the de- 'scription ore preferred embodiment of this intrensmitter end receiver mey be loclsedin step so es to ceuse the cethode rey beems et both the trensmitter end the receiver to operete synohronously. However, where the frequency bend required epproeches l mesecycle it is seen thet there is. in feet, e loss of neerly 100,000 cycles of intellisenoe trensmission occesioned b1 the revsrselofthe oethode reybeem. 'l'hisiulllose cennot be compenseted by the inclusion of the svnchronizine sisnel, ebove referred to. within this period since the synchronisins sisnel usueily requires only substentielly M of the reversel or return line period for its trensmission. Hence. it is in this time period. which heretofore hes been lost so fer so its utilisetion is concerned. thet it is proposed to trensmit the sound sisnels which .ecccmpeny the picture lotion for eech sssumed elementel strip which n reconstructed by the oethode rlif iro-opticel' imese durins its slow trensversel et the receiver into en elecwevev term for the picture sisnel: tie. it desisvention end others will neturelly sussest themselves to those skilled in the ert to which the invention is directed by reedins the followins speciflceticn end cleiins in connection with the eccornpenyins drewinss wherein:

I'ls. i represents the position of the picture ecennin's point or spot plotted eseirut the time: lie. 2 represents srephiceur the sisnels trensmitted end'herein lie. in desisnetes en essumed nntes en essumed weve form for en eccompenyin: sound sisnel; end Its. no representee combined'picture. sound end synchronisins sls lel:

lie. 3 represents srephicelly received sisnels where lie. to is e diesr-emmetic representetion of received picture sisnels end )is. It is e diesrsrnmstio representetion of the selected sound risnels et the trensmitter end the resultins confrom one edse portion of the tube fluorescent s viewins screen to the opposite edse portion.

It is en obiect of the present invention to provide improved weys end meens by which sound end television sisnels mey be trensrnitted upon it single cerrier irequency without ceusins eny interferins ecticn one with the other. y

it is it further obiect of the present invention to provide on improved system for trensmittins sound sisnels releted to television imese sisnels in which the sound sisnels occurrins within e reletivcly lons time period may be trenemitted within it reletively short time period end then ceased to become eudible et trolled electron beem intensity end the expended received sound sisnels: v

Pie. 4 is e diesremmetic showins of e sound trsnsmittins tube;

' rise. 0, s end "i ere curves illustretins the operetionorthetubeshcwnby'l'lei. Ofthese curves, Ill. 0 shows the everese potentiel veriv tion on the tube control electrode with respect to the slobuler surfece within tube; his. 0 represents the pctentiel of the elobuler surfece with respect to time: end lie. '7 shows the sisnel current plotted essinst time:

rls. I is e schemetic showins of e' con-' "2W?" toil t s sourves lusretethe etion oithetubesofl'ieli lie. 10 is e bloclr diesrem ci e trensrnitter system:

Its. ll represents e complete imese, with the synchronisins end sound sienels shown eccompenyins the pictoriei sienels:

its. is represents the slobuler plete within thepoints ofrecep 70 the tube shown will. i; I i

Fig. 13 represents in block diagram form the receiver system;

Fig. 14 represents the output signals from the receiver Ii shown by Fig. 13;

. matter, it reference is made first to Fig. 1 it will be seen that this figure illustrates the basic principles underlying the method of scanning. By this figure the time divisions of the unit time period making up a complete scanning cycle are shown. The unit time period is considered to be represented by the time required toscan the several elemental areas of one elemental strip or line of the subject. By this figure, the picture scanning cycle may be considered as including a time period T. The saw-tooth pattern of the curve represents the change in position of the scanning point from one maximum position to another and the return to the first position. So

arranged, it can be seen that the time interval betweenpoints A and B can be represented by the time period T1 which represents the picture scanning portion of the cycle. The time interval between points B and C, designated as T2,-i8 the time required for the scanning beam to return to its initial position, or back to a position corresponding to that at point A but advanced one scanning cycle.

be transmitted. In practice it has been found suitable-to arrange the ratio of the time periods T1 and T2 so that they vary between limiting values of the order of 6 to l and to 1, although neither assumed value is in anyway limiting. As an average value the ratio of 9 to 1 may be assumed for purposes of illustration so that T: can be assumed as equal to T/10.

According'to the arrangement which is to'be disclosed herein and as has already been set forth by the Zworykin disclosure hereinabove named, it is proposed during the period Tl to transmit the picture signals and during the time period T: to transmit the sound signals which occurred during the period T1 and also to accompany the transmitted sound signals by all necessary signals for synchronizing the picture reproduction. It is possible to carry out this plan since a a Fourier analysis shows that small frequency distortion, and substantially only small frequency distortion, is obtained when proper precautions regarding the allocation of the sound transmission time are taken. I

By Fig. 2 oi. the present disclosure the various conditions and the results obtained by the transmission of sound and picture signals have been graphically illustrated. As is seen from a consideration of portion a of this figure, the picture signal is transmitted during the period T1. By means of appropriate devices, to be later described herein, sound signals occurring during time periods A and A" (see Fig. 2b) are transmitted during the time period Ta, as indicated by Fig. 2c. A blank period D is provided during the period T1 or at the start of period T2 to permit the transmission of the synchronizing impulse, which is shown as occurring during the period I of the time period T2. As can be see'nfrom the diagrammatic illustrations of Fig. 2 and particularly fromcurves designated as 2a and 2c, the picture signals occurring during the time period T1 are transmitted unchanged, while there has been selected from the sound signals occurring during the time period Tl certain groups of these sound signals, and that these sound signals in condensed form have been caused to control the transmitter during the time period T: (see Fig.

As has been made evident from the statement of invention preceding this description, the frequency channel necessary for the transmission of It is during this time period T: that thesound and synchronizing signals are to' the picture signal as disclosed herein will be sufliciently wide to transmit also the sound impulses designated as A and A without serious distortion. Such a combined signal will contain all of the necessary information regarding the picture itself, sound accompaniment and'all necessary synchronizing impulses. This signal is then used to modulate the transmitter which can be any known and existing type of radio trans- 'mitterior a wire line communication channel or block diagram of Fig. 10 illustrating one form of transmitter arrangement.

It is obvious that if the receiving equipment is to perform the reverse of these operations upon the transmitted signal and the output from the receiver system will then be of the general form shown by Fig. 3 wherein portion 3a designates a diagrammatic representation of received picture signals which correspond to the signals shown by Fig. 2a and Fig. 3b illustrates the sound signals also illustrated inconnection with Fig. 2b. These sound signals contain sufficient information for the reconstruction of a replica of the original sound. The particular manner in which this result is accomplished, according to the present invention, will be described more fully in connection with the description of the system which follows, and especially in connection with the general arrangements shown and described in connection with Figs. 4 and 12 and their associated and related circuits.

If reference is now made to the arrangement of Fig. 4 by which the sound signals are transmitted, it can be appreciated that in order to accomplish the aims and objects of this invention it is necessary to provide some device which permits the recording of sound by some means for a finite time interval and then permits the transmission of the recorded sound at a rate more rapid than that at which it was recorded. The sound recording, according to the invention disclosed herein, is in the nature of an electrical Such a device, according to the present inven tion, consists essentially of an electronic device such as a cathode ray tube i, provided with the usual electron gun construction 3 and includes a source of cathode rays 5, a control grid 1 and smut an anode or accelerating electrode 0. In addi-" negativewithtion, there is provided within the. tube envelope I a pair of defiectingplate' electrodes, designated -as- II, which serve to deflect the cathode ray pencil it so that it moves within the tube envelope under the control of a suitable deflecting field applied to the deflecting electrodes from an external source (not shown) which is either the same source used to control the picture scanning cathode ray tube, or a source synchronized with the operation of the picture scanning device.

In a preferred form of the arrangement herein disclosed the cathode member I, constituting the electron emitter, is usually in the form of an indirectly heated cathode. Varying potentials are applied under the control of the sound signals to 1 the grid electrode, herein'considered as the'control electrodeto' control the intensity of the electron beam or pencil ll emitted from thecathode emitter I in proportion to the sound to be reproduced. In order to focus suitably the electron pencil or cathode ray; suitable focusing electrodes I l and II are provided. The electrodes I constituting the anode is provided with suitable apertures through which the electron pencil may pass and the focusing electrode I5 is likewise provided with a suitable aperture of reasonably small cross-sectional area.

The conical inner portion of the tube wall is in the form of a control electrode, or, where desired, there may be provided a separate electrode ll ugh this particularv shaping is not essenti invention'IKAdiacent the endpo on of the tube there is suitably supported an lating plate is, preferably formed from micafor some other suitable material having similar insulating properties, upon which is suitably deposited isolated silver globules 2| (see more particularly Fig. 12)

which are sensitized with caesium for a purpose to be hereinafter disclosed Immediately behind the insulating plate, member ll there is positioned what is herein termed a signal plate member 23. To all of the electrodes suitable connections to supply operatingand controlling volt ages are made. v

To describe now the operation of the arrange-. ment hereinabove discussed, the purpose of the carry out the t to the'sensitiaed same.

the globules will cease to emitsecondary electrons but will give up suflicient negative charge so as to again reach the proper condition forsecondary electronic emission, it being understood that the storing of negative electricity upon the globulesll corresponds to a decrease in the negative potential of the control member or electrode II with respect to the globules.

This phenomenon is utilized in the following manner. By means of an appropriate transmission system the signals impressed upon the control grid-member I of the cathode ray tube are caused to be of the general form shown by Fig.

3b.- This control then corresponds to an intensity variation of the cathode ray pencil or electron beam is which is an exact duplicate ofthe existing sound. a

The potential of the controlling electrode H with respect to an arbitrary level which is the average potential of the globules 2| over a long period of time is shown by Fig. 5. The variation in potential of the globules caused by the incidence of the electron pencil or cathode ray it impinging thereupon is shown graphically by the diagram designated as Fig. 6.

Therefore, the current flowing through the condenser formed from the globules II and the signal plate is separated by the mica support or sheet ll serving as a dielectric will have the form indicated graphically by the curves of Fig. 7.

- The waveforms of a I and I are similar to those of A and A" except that they are compressed in the ratio I: From the abovedescription-it will be quite apparent that the same type of tube shown by Fig. 4 may be employed at the receiving end of the system, but in that case there is used for I recording purposes the time period T: and the transmitting effect takes place during the following time period Tr. Obviously, such a system introduces a delay in the time of reproduction electrode members I, I. I and ii are self-evident from what has hereinabove been stated. It may be assumed, for the purpose of consideration, that the control grid 1 is caused to have potential variations corresponding to the sound signals occurring within the time periods A" and A" applied thereto. Then, in accordance with known theory and principles, the cathode ray pencil or electron beam is will have a corresponding or proportionate variation in intensity. The deflecting plates ii, being connected to an appropriate type of saw-tooth wave generator to produce deflection of the cathode ray pencil as above described, will then cause the cathode ray pencil II to scan the mica plate ll upon which, as

above stated, the isolated sensitized silver globules are deposited.

It has been established that the. properties of the caesium sensitized silver globules coating the plate member I! depend upon the electrical field existing between the control electrode i1 and the sensitized silver globules II. That is, when the control electrode i1 is positive with respect to the sensitized silver globules, the sensitized globules will emit secondary electrons when bombarded by the cathode ray pencil or electron beam II, and when the control electrode member II is of thesound equal to the time period between successive scanning lines or, in other words, there is always a delay equal to the time required to scan one line or one elemental strip of the subject of which the electro-optical image representation is desired. According to the present system herein disclosed this time periodv oil. without setting up any extraneous transient disturbance of'the associated network. An arrangernent of this general type has been shown by Fig. 8, and may be termed a Keyed amplifier." This amplifier has been disclosed and described in detail in my co-pending application Serial No. 844,417, filed November 28, 1932, and

' entitled "Amplifiers and in British Patent No.

415,619 issued August 30, l934ywhich patent was based on my co-pending application. According to this general arrangement the tubes ll and SI are biased beyond cut-off except at those time intervals when a negative voltage across the resistor element ll is produced by an appropriate operating signal supplied across the input circuit of the tube I1 and across the resistor 4|. During these periods the tubes Ii and II operate at their normal operating point. In orderto prevent undue voltage surges being impressed desired signal is transmitted in the predetermined time intervals. i

In order to produce the impulses for actuating the keyed amplifier described in connection with Fig. 3, reference should be made to Fig. 15 which shows one form in which the impulses may be developed for actuating the keyed amplifier. The circuit is divided for the purpose of disconnecting the operation thereof into two parts, the first, the wave shaping circuit, and the second, the impulse generator itself. The wave shaping circuit is of the form of the same type of circuit described in' considerable detail in an application numbered 544,959 by Arthur W. Vance. entitled Intelligence transmission systems," which application was filed June 17, 1931, and upon which application a British Patent"395,499 has been issued on July 30, 1933.

Referring now to Fig. 15, a saw-tooth wave as shown in Fig. 160 is applied to the input of the wave shaping circuit across the resistor "I. This wave is amplified by the triode Ill and across the plate circuit of this tube there appears a voltage wave shown in Fig. 16b. The inductance 2" may be of the order of 100 henrys or more, so that its actssubstantially as an open circuit for the high frequency altematlng current components but permits the D. C. plate current to be maintained constant. Connected in 'parallel with the inductance 201 is serially connected resistor ill and condenser II I. The grid of the tube Ill is connected to the, serially connected resistor and by suitable adjustment of. the movable tap on the resistor 20!, the wave shown in Fig. 16b can be impressed across the grid circuit of the tube Ill. This voltage wave is linearly amplified by tube 203 and the constants of the choke ill and the condenser Ill are so choaenas to present a voltage wave across the terminal II! which is substantially proportional to the voltage wave shown in Fig. 16b.

The operation of the impulse generator which is a type of amplifier, is disclosed in the Shore Patent No. 2,005,111, which issued on June 18, 1935, and entitled Amplifiers.' The voltage wave having the shape shown in Fig. 16!; is fed to the tube Hi. The tube is normally biased to cut-oi! by battery "I so that there appearsacross the plate resistance 22! no voltage drop. The tube "I has its grid connected to the plate resistor 22! and is biased by the battery "I to an appropriate value so that current normally fiows through the plate resistor 23! under the conditions of tube I being biased to cut-ofi. A condenser I is connected from the plate resister "I to the gridoi the tube III in accordance' with the teachings of the Shore patent referred to above. When the voltage wave of the form shown in Fig. 16b is applied,

to flow in the plate circuit of the tube 2, producing a voltage drop which is then amplified by tube ill, and a portion of the energy fed back as positive regeneration to the input circuit of the tube III, under which conditions tube III has so much negative voltage applied between its grid and cathode by virtue of the voltage drop through the resistor 22! taking place, due to current flowing through tube III that the tube is cut oil so that no plate current flows through resistor ill. At the same time there is no plate current flowing through the resistor 23! and consequently, there is no voltage drop across this resistor. when the linearly increasing portion of the wave shown in Fig. 161) ceases and the abrupt collapse takes place, the

I operation of the tubes Ill and III are reversed since the tube 2 goes back to its cut-off condition and the tube "I begins to draw current. Under these conditions, there is no voltage drop across the resistor 12! while a very large negative voltage drop appears across the resistor 23!.

Figs. 16c and 16d show the potential drops occurring across the resistors ill and III respectively. The potential drops may then be utilized by picking oil. the voltage from the terminals Ill and I which are known respectively as the "positive impulse" and "negative,impulse terminals. It will thus be apparent that the voltages appearing across the terminals 2 or I may be applied to the terminals 39 of the keyed amplifier shown in Fig. 8, where the bias battery of the tube I1 is appr priately chosen so that a voltage wave of the type shown in Fig. 16c and 16:! will actuate the amplifier only during the intervals when the voltage is zero.

It will be noted that the positive impulse shown in Fig. 180 will only actuate the amplifier during the very short interval, while if avoltage wave 40 shown in Fig. 16d is supplied, then the amplifier is actuated over a relatively large interval.

with regard to the waveshaping circuit, it should be noted that, if desired, connections may be made to the terminals II! for impressing voltage on magnetic deflecting coils. The voltage wave (16b) when impressed on such coils, will produce a current wave through the coils which will have a saw tooth wave identical with that shown in Fig. 16a and so may be used for producing linear magnetic deflection.

From the above it is apparent that the various devices necessary to accomplish the aims and objects of this invention have been individually described, but in order to obtain a full and complete understanding of the system the entire system will now be described. insofar as the cooperation of the several independent parts especially is concerned, in some detail. A general electro-mechanical pick-up system, or pre1'er-;

ably, by way of a cathode ray tube device as has been disclosed in further detail by the Zwo'rykin application, to which reference has current begins 7 been made above. Applicants invention may be used, therefore, with any picture signal and scanning device which provides for periodic blank periods during which no picture signal is sent, for example a system such as shown in U. 8. Patent No. 2,100,279, issued November 23, 1937, to George and Helm. Such a source of picture signal has been shown in the block diagram as source II. The output energy from the scanning device is applied to an amplifier which is so arranged to transmit signalling impulses over a very wide band of frequency with substantially no frequency or phase distortion. The output of, the amplifier i3 feeds to a keyed amplifier 55 which is of the type described above in connection with Fig. 8, and to which negative impulses from the impulse generator ii is fed. As explained above, the

picture signals, therefore, will appear at the output of the keyed.amplifier 55 over a relatively long interval during each cycle oi the scanning process, and by block-mg of! during a short interval when the negative impulse occurs as shown in Fig. 16d.

In practice, the amplifier 55 will transmit signals for approximately 90% of the time period, the remaining 10% of the time during which the picture signals will not be transmitted through the keyed amplifier, being reservedior I the return period of the horizontal scanning motion, that is, during the period T2. The output oi the keyed amplifier is then fed through an amplifier modulator 63 and the transmitter 65, and radiated-from'the antenna '1. The sound energy is picked up by the microphone II, amplified by the conventional thermionic amplifier 13, and fed to a keyed amplifier I! which is of the same type as 65, as described in detail in connection with Fig. 8. The amplifier 1! is also fed with negative impulses sothat for substantially 90% of the time energy flows from the output of the keyed amplifier to the recording tube I1, which has been described in detail in connection with Fig. 4, which is also fed with negative impulses from the impulse generator BI. The output of the recording tube is fed to a second keyed amplifier 19 which is supplied with positive impulses from the impulse generator BI, so that the output of the recording tube fiows for only substantially 10% of a horizontal scanning period. The output of the keyed amplifler feeds to the amplifier modulator 63 and transmitter 65 for radiation from the antenna 61.

By referring to Fig. 11, it will be seen that the synchronizing impulses S represent a negative variation but the picture signal P is a positive variation in the energy output. Furthermore, it will be noted that during the horizontal scanning return line, the output from the picture amplifying system is at zero level. It is an interrupted sound signal appearing in the output circuit of the amplifier 15 that is introduced upon the control grid I of the recording tube I, illustrated in Fig. 4, and shown in the block diagram as recording tube 11. The electronic switch and amplifier, as noted above. is shown in Fig. 8. The deflecting plates II of the recording tube I are connected to the impulse generator ii in Fig. 10 which operates synchronously from the horizontal synchronizing signal generator to control the image scanner, which oscillator is shown conventionally at 51 in Fig. 10. The selector or control electrode member I1 in Fig. 4 is connected to a signal source I of the wave cathode ray pencil I3 traverses the globular members 2| in the reverse direction from that of traversal during the .period of storing the sound signals can be determined by the voltage .gen-

erated across the output resistor l'I connected between the sound signal plate 23 and the electron source.

'Within this tube I, as shown by Fig. 4, there is generated also a horizontal synchronizing signal by means of an auxiliary electrode member 69 attached to the structure including the insulating dielectric member IS, the globules 2i and the signal plate 23. The synchronizing signal electrode is so arranged that the horizontal synchronizing signal resulting from the scanning or traversal of the electrode member I! by the cathode ray pencil II produces a signal which is negative with respect to the sound signal during the return line period.

The output energy from the sound analyzing and scanning tube I appears across the resistor 61 and is applied to the amplifier 19 by way of the capacity I2. The amplifier I9 is arranged to transmit.only during the returnline time T2 of the horizontal scanning period and is controlled in a manner similar to each of the amplifiers 55, I5 and 11, as well as a source of picture signals from the impulse generating system comprising the osciliator 51, the wave shaper 59, and the impulse generator Ii I.

From the above description it is believed that it will become apparent that by the'use of the arrangement herein described signals of the general form shown by Fig. 2 and particularly Fig. 20 can control the transmitter so that there will be a sequence of transmitted signals to represent an image, accompanying or related sound, and signals to synchronize and control the reproduction of the transmitted signals.

While it has been above stated that the synsound and picture signal systems be properly interloced in order that there may not be any overlapping of time periods of transmission and in order that the sound signals, the synchronizing signals and the picture signals may all occupy those portions of the total transmission time available which has been assigned to each in order that the desired spacing be maintained.

To receive the signals transmitted according to the arrangement hereinabove described, it might be stated b riefiy that the receiver equipment consists essentially of a radio receiver ll or line amplifier, depending solely upon the means'used for transmitting the signals. If it is considered, for example, that the signals are being transmitted by way of a radio communication netiorm, as shown and grap a ly illustrated in 78 worls a y known form of radio receiver may be adopted for receiving the signals. Therefore, in order to reach a consideration of the present invention and to ascertain its application to the receiving end of the network, it may be considered as including specifically that portion of thereceiver which follows the second detector "assuming a heterodyne receiver is used. The

output signal from the second detector of any suitable type of receiver has been graphically indicated by the diagram of Fig. 14.

Assuming now that the received signals are of the form shown in Fig. 14, it is possible by means of known devices to separate the synchronizing signals-from the sound and picture signals. Devices for accomplishing this purpose are known in the art and usually consist essentially of biased tubes located at appropriate points in the amplifier system, as disclosed, for example, in the above mentioned Zworykin disclosure. It is also possible to separate the vertical and horizontal synchronizing impulses due to their difference in shape or amplitude, for

example. and this manner of separation has already been taught by A. W. Vance and R. D. Kell, for example, in copending applications Serial Nos. 544,959 and 565,953, upon which British Patents Nos. 395,499 issued July 20, 1933, and 407,409, issued March 22, 1934, respectively, have been obtained. The vertical and horizontal synchronizing signals by their different frequency components control the operation of certain synchronizing and control circuits which need no further mention here.

The picture signal receiving system consists essentially of an amplifier system II which transmits or is rendered operative, for example, under the control of the synchronizing signals, only during the scanning line period, or in other words, for time periods corresponding to the time period T1. The output from this form of receiver is then connected directly to a picture signal amplifier ll of the ordinary type from the output of which the amplified signals are arranged to control the image reconstructing or receiving device 81. Such a picture or-image reconstructing device 81 may be :the well known, cathode ray tube disclosed by the above named Zwor-ykin disclosure, or, where desired, may be a disk or vany suitable type of light valve to controlthe image reproduction. This device operates under the control of the synchronizing signals and is, therefore, so connected: with the synchronizing and control circuit system that the control signals are supplied thereto by way of control channels or circuits l9 and ill from the source 92.

The sound receiving system, as is evident from a consideration or the transmission end of the system, consistsv essentially of an amplifier device 9|, energized from the receiver 9|. The amplifier ll is arranged to transmit or pass current only during the return line period T: of the horizontal scanning period and is controlled from the synchronizing signal and control source {92. The sound signal output energy from the amplifier II is then impressed upon the sound recording and delay device GI which is similar to the device shown by Fig. 4 and, therefore, operates in the same general manner except that the operation is just the reverse of that of the tube I at the transmitting end of the system, by which is meant that the charge and discharge actions are reversed in that the tube at the receiver stores the energy during the short time period T: and dissipates the stored charge during the next following long time period T1. Such an electronic switching has been described above in connection with Fig. 8.

By applying appropriate voltages to the selector electrode of sound energy storing tube the cathode rays under the control of the received soundsignalsimpingingupon the sensitized globular construction are caused to record the transmitted sound signals during the return line period Ta and with the voltage on the electrode Il then changed to transmit these recorded sound signals during the scanning period T1. the case in the transmitter end of the system the cathode ray pencil is of varying intensity during the signal storage period but of constant intensity duringthe signal release or discharge period.

From what has been described above, it is ap parent that in view of the fact that the ray pencil ll traverses the sound signal storing tube at th'e transmitter end, for example, during the picture scanning time period T1 when the sound signals are being stored, in a direction from left to right and then traverses the same globular construction during the time period desired for transmission, that is, the time period T: of interruption of image signal transmission, in a direction from right to left, the sound signals will be transmitted backwards or in reverse order from that of their actual occurrence. If now at the various receiving points the sound signals are stored during the time period '1: it can be seen that these signals will be stored during the time period when the ray pencil in the sound receiving and storing tube moves rapidly, for example,

from right to left during the time period corresponding to time period T2. In view of the fact that there is, as above stated, a delay in the time of reproduction of these sound signals of a time period T corresponding to one picture line or elemental strip scanning cycle, the sound signals last to be stored will be the first to be reproduced or, in other words, there is still another reversal so that the order of reproduction of the stored sound signals at the receiver is in proper time sequence.

The output energy from the sound signal storing device as appears across a resistor similar to resistor 81 is then impressed upon an amplifier system which is rendered operative only during the horizontal scanning period T1. The output from amplifier 95 is then passed through a low pass filter 91 of known type so as to exclude the undesired higher frequencies present in the output signals from the amplifier system. The result is that the desired signals, corresponding to the sound originating at the point of transmission and controlling the grid electrode 1 of the sound transmitting tube l, are then supplied to a suitable sound reproducer of any type known in the art so that sound signals representing the sound effects occurring at the point of transmission are reproduced simultaneously with the production of electro-optical effects representative of the subject being scanned optically at the point of transmission.

Thus. from the above description it is apparent that there occurs during certain time periods of operation a storage effect within the tube I, whether the tube be located at the point of transmission or at the point of reception, and a tronic emission occurs within the tube so that I the tube operating under the control of the cath As was ode ray pencil (then uncontrolled as to its intensity) discharges the stored charges representative oi the sound. These charges are then uti-' l. The method or transmitting sound intelligence signal representations accomllaw fll electro-optical ei'lects which -comprises successively producing in accordance with the intelligence signals to be transmitted a plurality oi electrical charges representative of predetermined portions or the entire sound intelligence signal, producing varying degrees of secondary electronic emission within an electron tube under the control oi the produced charges at time period subsequent to the production of charges, and transmitting during a time period of short duration electrical signals representative oi compressed predetermined portions oi the intelligence signal controlled in accordance with the variances in secondary electronic emission.

2. In a system for transmitting combined sight and sound intelligence signals wherein the sight signals are first transmitted andthe transmission is then interrupted and wherein the periods of transmission and interruption bear a time relationship to each other or the order of nine to one, means for transmitting during the longer time period electrc-optical image signals. means for successively storing during the period or transmission electro-optioel image signals sound intelligence signals in the form orelectroi static charges means i'or controllinl din-ins the period of interruption of electro-opticalsignal transmission the secondary electronic emission within an electron tube in accordance with the electrostatic charges produced. means for sequentially transmitting signals controlled in accordance with the electro-optical eflecte and in accordance with the secondary electronic emission ei'l'ects, and means iorcausing repetitions of the sequence oi transmissionat a rate equal to the line scanning rate necessary to produce complete images-at repetition rates at least equal to the frequency of persistence of, vision.

3. In asystem for transmitting combined image and sound intelligence signals wherein the electro-optical image signals are alternately transmitted and interrupted and wherein sound intelligence signals are alternately transmitted and interrupted in opposite time relationship and wherein the time periods bear arelationship one to the other oi the order of nine to one. means for transmitting during the longer time period electro-optical image signals, means tor successively storing during the period of transmission of electro-opticai image signals sound intelligence signals in the form of electrostatic charges, means for, controlling the secondary electronic emission within an electron tube in accordance with the electrostatic charges produced during the period of interruption or elsetro-optical signal transmission, means for continually transmitting sianels controlled in sequence by the electro-optical eflects and by variances in the secondary'electronic emission effects. and means for causing the repetition or accuse the sequence oi transmission at a line scanning rate corresponding to the irequency necessary to cause the complete electro-voptical image to be scanned at a rate at least equal to the iremember, means for controlling the intensity oithe cathode rays generated within the tube at predetermined time intervals in accordance with the intensity or the signals to be transmitted, means for deflecting thecontrolled cathode rays within the tube in one direction to cause the rays to impinge successively upon diflerent isolated globules to produce thereon electrostatic charges oi values proportionate to the controlling voltage applied to control the intensity oi the oathode ray pencil, means to deflect the cathode rays in a second direction as uncontrolled intensity rays, a control member within the tube positioned between the deflecting means and the isolated globules, and means for producing secondary electronic emission by the traversal or the isolated globules by the cathode ray pencil during periods of uncontrolled cathode ray intensity by controlling the potential applied to the control member relative to the potential acting upon the plate electrode member.

ii. In a system for transmitting signals, a

cathode ray tube including means for producing therein a pencil oi cathode rays, a conducting plate member in the path or the cathode rays. an insulated member provided with a covering of isolated photo sensitised globules supported upon the plate member, means for controlling the-intensity or the cathode rays generated within the tube at predetermined time intervals in accordance with the intensity oi the signals to betransmltted, means tor deflecting the controlled cathode rays withinthe tube in one direction to cause the rays to impinge successively upon diflerent isolated photo sensitised globules to-produce thereon electrostatic charges oi values proportionate to the controlling voltage applied to control the intensity of the cathode ray pencil,

means for interrupting the control 0! the oathode ray pencil intensity at other predetermined time periods. means to deflect the uncontrolled intensity cathode ray pencil in a direction opposite to the flrst direction or deilection a control member within the electron tube positioned between the deflecting means and the isolated globules, and means for producing secondary electronic.emisslon by the traversal of the isolated globules by the cathode ray pencil during periods oi uncontrolled cathode ray intensity by controlling the potential applied to the control member relative to the potential acting upon the plate electrode member.

6. A system for transmitting electrical sound intelligence signals during a limited portion or the entire transmission period available which comprises an electron tube, means ior succesemission within the tube during a minor time portion of the unit time period, and means for producing in accordance with the secondary electronic' emission ciiects produced a transmitted signal modulated in accordance with the varying degrees of secondary electronic emission produced within the tube.

7. A system for transmitting by the aid of an electron tube a time compressed sound intelligence signal during a limited portion of the entire transmission period available which comprises an electron tube, means for successively storing electrically within the electron tube a series of electrostatic charges of values proportional to the sound intelligence signals occurring within av major portion of a unit time period, means contained within the electron tube for utilizing the produced electrostatic charges to control secondary electronic emission within the tube during a minor time portion of the unit time period. a transmitter, and means for controlling the transmitter during the minor time period in accordance with the secondary electronic emission efifects, to produce a transmitted signal modulated in accordance with the varying degrees of secondary electronic emission produced within the tube and compressed in time in respect to the time-required to produce the modulating signals.

8. In a system for transmitting combined image and sound intelligence signals wherein electro-optical image signals are alternately transmitted and interrupted and wherein sound intelligence signals are alternately transmitted and interrupted in opposite time relationship and wherein the periods bear a time relationship to each other 01' the order of nine to one, means for transmitting during each longer time period a series of electro-optical image signals representative of a single elemental strip of the subject, means for successively storing during the period of transmission of electro-optical image signals sound intelligence signals in the form of electrostatic charges, means for applying during the period of interruption of electro-optical signal transmission a biasing voltage to the intelligence signal storing element to cause secondary electronic emissions varying in accordance with the electrostatic charges produced, means for continually transmitting signals controlled in sequence by'the electro-optical effects and by variances in the secondary electronic emission efiects, and means for causing the repetition of tne sequence of transmission of both effects at a frequency corresponding to the line scanning frequency required to produce predetermined image detail with each complete image signal recurring at a frequency at least equal to the frequency of persistence of vision.

HARRY BRANSON. 

